From heart of darkness by joseph conrad
"and this also," said marlow suddenly, "has been one of the dark places of the earth."
he was the only man of us who still "followed the sea." the worst that could be said of him was that he did not represent his class. he was a seaman, but he was a wanderer, too, while most seamen lead, if one may so express it, a sedentary life. their minds are of the stay-at-home order, and their home is always with them -- the ship; and so is their country -- the sea. one ship is very much like another, and the sea is always the same. in the immutability of their surroundings the foreign shores, the foreign faces, the changing immensity of life, glide past, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysterious to a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is the mistress of his existence and as inscrutable as destiny. for the rest, after his hours of work, a casual stroll or a casual spree on shore suffices to unfold for him the secret of a whole continent, and generally he finds the secret not worth knowing. the yarns of seamen have a direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lies within the shell of a cracked nut. but marlow was not typical (if his propensity to spin yarns be excepted), and to him the meaning of an episode was not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping the tale which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze, in the likeness of one of these misty halos that sometimes are made visible by the spectral illumination of moonshine.
his remark did not seem at all surprising. it was just like marlow. it was accepted in silence. what is the central claim made by the narrator in this passage?

Read the excerpt from act i of the importance of being earnest. lady bracknell. well, i must say, algernon, that i think it is high time that mr. bunbury made up his mind whether he was going to live or to die. this shilly-shallying with the question is absurd. . i should be much obliged if you would ask mr. bunbury, from me, to be kind enough not to have a relapse on saturday, for i rely on you to arrange my music for me. it is my last reception, and one wants something that will encourage conversation, particularly at the end of the season when every one has practically said whatever they had to say, which, in most cases, was probably not much. what aspect of lady bracknell’s behavior does wilde use to poke fun at the importance placed on frivolous events in formal society? her concern with a party instead of mr. bunbury’s health her interest in playing classical music at her reception her jealousy over algernon’s friendship with the sickly mr. bunbury her concern about the health of algernon’s friend

{asap} select the correct text in the passage. which line in this excerpt from jonathan swift's "a modest proposal" uses the rhetorical device of irony? and secondly, there being a round million of creatures in humane figure throughout this kingdom, whose whole subsistence put into a common stock, would leave them in debt two million of pounds sterling, adding those who are beggars by profession, to the bulk of farmers, cottagers and labourers, with their wives and children, who are beggars in effect; i desire those politicians who dislike my overture, and may perhaps be so bold to attempt an answer, that they will first ask the parents of these mortals, whether they would not at this day think it a great happiness to have been sold for food at a year old, in the manner i prescribe, and thereby have avoided such a perpetual scene of misfortunes, as they have since gone through, by the oppression of landlords, the impossibility of paying rent without money or trade, the want of common sustenance, with neither house nor cloaths to cover them from the inclemencies of the weather, and the most inevitable prospect of intailing the like, or greater miseries, upon their breed for ever. i profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that i have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the publick good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich. i have no children, by which i can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing. lines highlighted: - there being a round million of creatures in humane figure throughout this kingdom, whose whole subsistence put into a common stock, would leave them in debt two million of pounds sterling, - they have since gone through, by the oppression of landlords, the impossibility of paying rent without money or trade, the want of common sustenance, with neither house nor cloaths to cover them from the inclemencies of the weather - i have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the publick good of my country, - i have no children, by which i can propose to get a single penny; the youngest being nine years old, and my wife past child-bearing.

Read the passage below and answer the question. marcus had a reputation for being craven. no one had ever seen him do a single brave thing. using context clues, how would you define the word craven in the passage? intense courageous cowardly thoughtful